Henry sees sense of psychology

Wolves midfielder Karl Henry claims the club were wrong to part company with their popular psychologist Bill Stevens last summer.

Last Updated: 14/04/12 12:40pm

Karl Henry: Unhappy with Wolves psychologist's departure in the summer

Wolves midfielder Karl Henry claims the club were wrong to part company with their popular psychologist Bill Stevens last summer.

The 29-year-old, who has recently returned to training after four weeks out of action with a hamstring injury, believes the Molineux club's plight may partly have been caused by the therapist's departure.

The Molineux club have won just five games all season, have lost their last seven matches, eight out of their last nine, and are sitting rock bottom of the Premier League.

Manager Terry Connor has taken one point from his first eight games in charge and with just four games remaining after this weekend's trip to Sunderland, the Black Country outfit's hopes of survival are looking grim.

Convinced

Henry told The Sun: "We had a club psychologist for almost three years and he was let go in the summer.

"Bill came in halfway through the Championship-winning season of 2009 when we were promoted to the Premier League.

"I was a sceptic before he came in but now I'm convinced these things do matter.

"Bill definitely helped a lot of our players on and off the field. He helped us focus on our football.

"There are always lots of distractions going on around a football club.

"Players are only human, you have family matters to deal with, something is always going on.

"His job was to give everyone belief in themselves. The mental side of the game is huge and Bill would help players forget about any other problems and concentrate 100 per cent on football.

"If you're a physio, you heal someone's broken leg and everyone sees it. But no one can see confidence.

"Confidence is a huge part of the game. Bill was good at his job and if he helped two or three players, then it helped the team."

Embarrassing

Henry, 29, is adamant that Stevens' dismissal is not an excuse for Wanderers' poor form this season.

He added: "I'm not saying this now because we're bottom. I've felt bad about this from the start. We are where we are because we're not good enough.

"I can accept that. What I don't accept is that we're already down.

"Every time the league table comes on TV I don't want to see it - it's too embarrassing.

"We must have the attitude we can win some and salvage something. If not, we must go down fighting."